Invalid conveyer



Dec. 6, 1 932.

INVALID CONVEYER Filed Jan. 8, 1952 2 heets-Sheet l INVENTOR Li Cli e Leizznr'ez BY Qh iymi l ATTORNEY L. LEININGER 1,889,925

Dec. 6, 1932. L. LEININGER INVALID CONVEYER Filed Jan. 8, 1932 2Sheets-Sheet INVENII'OR Lillie Lem ilzg'er Patented Dec. 1932 UNITEDSTATES LILLIE LEIN'INGE R, OF MODESTO, CALIFORNIA INVALID CONVEYERApplication filed January 8, 1932. Serial No. 585,522.

This invention relates to invalid conveying devices either for hospitalor home use for the purpose of temporarily supporting aninvalid whilehis bed is being made or for conveying him from one point to anotherwhen heis incapable of aiding himself.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a portable device ofthis character having a flexible supporting sheet or stretcher for thepatient, and a means of supporting said sheet so arranged that thelatter may be left slack or drawn and held taut and perfectly flat asthe physical condition of the patient may require. This latter, featureis 5 extremely important in cases of fracture when it is necessary thatthe patient shall lie perfectly flat at all times.

A further object is to arrange the operating parts of the apparatus sothat all adjustments and operations incident to the use and manipulationof the same may easily be performed by a single attendant if necessar 7if further object of the invention is to pro- 2 duce a simple andinexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective forthe purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relativearrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the followingspecification and claims.

ln the drawings similar characters of reference indicate correspondingparts in the 35 several views:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the complete apparatus.

Fig. 2 is an end view of one of the sheet supporting units showing thesheet in a slack or bowed position.

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the sheet as drawn taut.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on thedrawings, the numeral 1 denotes a suitable base supported by a pluralityofcaster wheels 2 so that it may be easily moved from one place toanother. Upstanding from the base toward its" rear end is a tubularstandard 3 from the upper end of which a shaft 4 projects. The

standard and shaft form the cylinder and piston respectively of ahydraulic lift.

The power to operate the shaft is obtained by means of any suitableliquid whose flow is controlled by a pump 5 upstanding from the baseback of the standard, and operated by a hand lever 6 above thepump andprojectinglengthwise of the base in the direction of its rear end.

Disposed above the shaft and extending forwardly relative to the base isa substantially horizontal A frame 7. Atits rear end said frame isflexibly connected to the standard by a depending arm 8. Intermediateits ends the frame is swivelly connected to the shaft 4 by a cross bar 9rigid with said frame. At its forward relatively wide end said frame vsupports a horizontal and relatively long bar 10 which extendstransversely of the base and from the ends of which downwardly divergingpairs of chains 11 or the like depend.

Thelower ends of each pair of chains are connected to the upper ends ofsubstantially triangular frames 12 disposed in vertical planes extendinglengthwise of the base and which are pivoted together at their apices asat 13. Said apices are nearer the top of the frames than the bottom sothat an open or unobstructed area of suflicient size to receive the bodyof a patient is formed betweensaid frames below their pivotalconnection.

At their lower ends the frames 12 are provided with rigidly attachedoppositely facing hooks 14. These hooks are adapted to detachably engageand support rigid bars 15 which are secured along and enclosed by theside edges of a rectangular sheet 16 of canvas or the like. This sheetis somewhat longer than the distance between the supporting frames 12'and it is therefore notched or out out along the sides atcorrespondingly spaced points, as shown at17, to expose the adjacentportion of the bars 15 for proper engagement with the hooks. 9

The longitudinal straightness of the sheet is controlled by the sidebars which are rigid. The transverse contour is controlled by screw rods18 which are threaded right and left hand toward their opposite ends.These oppositely threaded portions engage blocks 19 swivelly mounted onthe corresponding pairs of frames 12 at their upper ends as plainlyshown. Each rod is provided with a suitable crank handle 20 or otherdevice whereby it may be easily turned, and it will be seen that byturning the screw rods one way or the other the upper ends of the frames12 may be brought closer together or forced further apart, imparting areverse movement to the lower ends of the frames. The sheet 16 whichextends between the supporting hooks at the lower ends of the frames maytherefore be drawn as taut as necessary, at either or both ends, tosupport any weight without giving, as shown in Fig. 3; or it may be leftslack and concave as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.-

In operation the sheet is first placed on the bed under the'patient andthe apparatus is wheeled into position relative to the bed so that thesheet supporting frames are disposed in The frames are then lowered ifnecessary by manipulating the liquid release valve 21 (preferablymounted on one side of the standard) so as to bring the hooks 14 to thelevel of the sheet bars 15. The books are then engaged with the bars andif necessary the screws 18 are turned so that the sheet is drawn tautbefore any attempt is made to raise the patient. Such raising is theneffected by operating the pump,-whereupo1i the apparatus with thepatient supported thereon may be wheeled to one side or taken towhatever location may be desired.

In the manufacture of this apparatus the base, the various frames andbars are all preferably made of the very strong yet light tubular a loy,extensively used in the airplane industry. In this manner the device hassufficient strength to support the load of any human being withoutdangerof collapse and without the use of excessive bracing, while at thesame time it is sufliciently light to enable the apparatus to be easilymanipulated by one attendant.

As will be seen in Fig. 1, the sheet is provided with a centrallydisposed opening, so that apart from moving a patient-about, theapparatus is a valuable aid in bed pan service. It is also to be notedthat the bars 15 are removably mounted in the heme of the sheet, so thatthe sheet may lie limp on the bed when it is not actually'supporting thepatient, but

- is being retained in place for such use.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I haveproduced such a device assubstantially fulfills the objects of theinvention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets: forth in'detail the present and preferredconstruction of the device, still in practice such deviations from suchdetail may be resorted to as do not form.

a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appendedclaims.

proper positions relative to the sheet. I

5 just Having thus described my invention what claim as new and usefuland desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An invalid conveyer comprising a flexiat spaced points in the lengththereof, said' means including pairs of vertical frames extendingtransversely of the sheet, the frames of each pair being pivotedtogether intermediate their top and bottom ends, means on the lower endsof the frames engaging the sheet, and means applied to the upper ends ofcooperating frames to alter the distance between such ends at will.

3. A structure as in claim 2, in which said last named means comprises ahorizontal hand actuated screw-rod having right and left threadedportions, and blocks mounted on the frames and engaged by said threadedportions. 4. A structure as in claim 1, with elements depending andconnected to the frames at the upper corners and disposed in downwardlydiverging relation to each other whereby to exert a normal tendency'tospread the lower ends of the frames.

5. An invalid conveyer comprising in combination a portable flexiblepatient-support g sheet, supporting units for the sheet above the samedepending and detachably connected to the sheet at spaced points alongthe sides thereof, means provided with each unit to adthe same in amanner to place the adjacent portion of the sheet under transversetension and lifting ineans for the units supporting the same from above.

6. An invalid conveyer comprising in combination a portable flexiblepatient-supporting sheet, supporting units for the sheet above the samedepending and detachably connected to the sheet at spaeedpoints alongthe sides thereof, means provided with units to adjust the same so as toplace the sheet under trans-

